Security Council sets election date to fill Int'l Court of Justice vacancy

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday decided that a vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would be filled by election in June.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2403 (2018), the Council noted with regret the resignation from the Court of Judge Hisashi Owada, which would take effect on June 7.

Noting that the Statute of the Court required the Council to fix a date for the election, members decided the date would be June 22, at a meeting of the Security Council and a concurrent meeting of the General Assembly.

"Noting that, in accordance with article 14 of the Statute, the date of the election to fill the vacancy shall be fixed by the Security Council," according to the resolution.

Owada, 85, decided to quit in part because of his age.

Owada became an ICJ judge in 2003 after serving as vice foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations. He was the first Japanese president of the court, holding the post between 2009 and 2012. Enditem